What does the leading digit of the type approval number mean?
Last verified: 2026-06-20
The TG number is the unique identifier of every Swiss type approval. It appears on the type approval document and — for vehicles without an IVI — in field 24 of the registration document.
The leading digit (the first figure) or the corresponding leading letter encodes the vehicle group. The ASTRA document “Vehicle classification” maps the leading digit and letter to the vehicle groups and classes:
| Leading digit / letter | Vehicle group | Classes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 / A | passenger cars | M1 |
| 2 / B | minibus, coach, bus | M2, M3 |
| 3 / C | delivery vans, trucks, semi-trailer tractors | N1, N2, N3 |
| 4 / D | agricultural / industrial tractors | T1–T5 |
| 5 / E | work carts, work machines | — |
| 6 / F | motorcycles, small and light motor vehicles | L classes |
| 7 / G | mopeds, electric bikes, motorised wheelchairs | — |
| 8 / H | motor carts | — |
| 9 | trailers | O1–O4 |
The mapping of the leading digit (or leading letter) to the vehicle group is publicly standardised and traceable. The exact meaning of the further positions of the TG number is not published by ASTRA as a generally valid format.
Sources
- Vehicle classification (vehicle groups of type approval) — ASTRA – Federal Roads Office
- Vehicle type approval — ASTRA – Federal Roads Office